Ticut



2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. E. 8a E. P. REYNOLDS.

(N0 Model.)

ENGINE STOP.

No. 599,014. Patented Feb. 15.1898.

y UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. REYNOLDS AND FRANK P. REYNOLDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNEC- .TICUT; SAID JOI-IN R. REYNOLDS ASSIGNOR TO SAID FRANK P. REY- NOLDS.

ENGINE-STOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,014, dated February 15, 1898. Application lecl May Z9, 1897., Serial No. 638,742. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN R. REYNOLDS' The invention relates to those machineswhich are connected with valves that control the supply of energizing liuid to steam or other engines and are adapted to be set in operation from different localities for closing the valves with which they are connected when it is necessary or desirable to quickly stop the engines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and readily-adjustable machine of this class which when set in operation at any time by any one from a localityv near athand or at a distance will surely and rapidly in a desirable manner close the valve with which it is connected, thus shutting off the supply of energizing fluid and bringing the engine to a stop.

This invention resides in a machine having a spindle provided with means whereby it can easily be connected with any valve, a source of power that can be put under tension and utilized for rotating the spindle, a catch for holding the mechanisms with the power tense,

an electrically-operated trip for releasing the catch, and mechanisms for regulating the speed of movement of the parts when the catch is released and the machine is operating to effect the closing of a valve, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the machine with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side with the cover removed and the case in section. Fig. 3 is a Vertical section taken through the main spindle. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the retarding-cylinder. Fig. 5 is a' detail view of the catch mechanism, and Fig. 6 is a face View of the retarding-cylinder.

vIn the views, 1 indicates the case in which the mechanisms are inclosed. This case may be made of any suitable material, but preferably is metal. Supported by standards 2 and 3, attached to the case, is a spindle 4. Outside of the case this spindle bears a sprocketwheel 5, which can be connected by a suitable chain with a sprocket-wheel on the spindle of a valve in'the conductor for the energizing fluid that drives the engine. Inside of the case the spindle is connected with a springbarrel 6. One end of an energizing-spring (not shown) may be connected with this barrel and the other end may be connected with an arbor 7, that is clamped to the standard 8, so as to project into the barrel. When wound up, such a spring tends to rotate the barrel and the connected spindle that bears the sprocketwheel. Connected with the sprocket-wheel is a drum 9, upon which a weighted cord or band may be wound toaid inj-rotating the sprocket-wheel. For rotating the sprocketwheel either a spring can be placed in the barrel or a weighted cord can be wound on the drum, but preferably both are provided to insure certain, positive,and quick action. The sprocket-wheel 5 and the cord-drum 9'are secured together by bolts and are held connected with the spindle through a fixed tapering friction-collar 36, onto the peripheral surface of ywhich the sprocket-wheel is forced by a nut that turns on the threaded end of the spindle and bears against the h'ub of the drum. When this nut is loosened, the sprocket-wheel and cord-drum can be rotated for adjustment on the nut.

Upon the spring-barrel there are an annular series of ratchet-teeth, and supported by a bracket l() is a catch-lever 11, with a pawl 12, arranged to normally engage with these teeth. This is preferably a spring-pawl with a threaded shank upon which are a pair of nuts 13, that can be adjusted for regulating the tension of the spring. i

Pivoted to the bracket 10 is a trip-lever 14. This trip-lever at one end is loosely connected with an arm projecting from the vcatch-lever 11 and at the other end is provided with a lug 15, Iarranged to engage a lug 16 on the armature 17 of an electromagnet 18. A spring 19 is connected with the catch-lever near its handle in such manner as to normally tend to withdraw. the pawl from engagement with the IOO teeth on the barrel. If the lug of the trip-lever is engaged by the lug on the armature of the magnet, the catch-lever cannot move to withdraw the pawl; but when the magnet is excited, as by closing an electric circuit in which it has been connected, the armature is so drawn as to release thetrip-lever and allow the spring to move the catch-lever and draw the pawl from engagement with the teeth, leaving the barrel free to be revolved by the spring it contains or by the weight connected with the drum. lVhen the magnet is not excited, the armature is drawn back by a spring in the common manner.

For operating the machine directly a spring-bolt 2l may be mounted in the casein such manner that when the bolt is pushed inward its end will engage with and move the armature, so as to release the engaging lugs and free the levers, allowing the pawl to be withdrawn from the teeth on the spring-barrel.

Mounted upon a stud borne by the springbarrel is a pinion 22. This pinion meshes with a gear 23, that is immovably secured to the standard 2, and with a gear 24, that is borne by a sleeve 25, which is loosely held by the standard 2. These are differential gearsthat is, one, preferably 24C, has more teeth than the other-so that when the sprocket, spindle, and spring-barrel are rotated the gear 24 will be given a relatively slow rotation.

Secured to the sleeve 25 between the standards 2 and 3 is a pinion 26, and this pinion meshes with a rack formed on a bar 27, that is movably supported by a part of the standard 2. The bar 27 is connected with a plunger 28, that is somewhat loosely fitted into a cylinder 29, attached to the case. A valve 30 is provided for the free passage of air into the cylinder when the plungeris drawn outward, and there is a valve 3l, that can be closely regulated, for the very slow escape of air when the plunger is forced into the cylinder. Of course the cylinder and the plunger could be reversed, if desiredthat is, the movable part could be made the cylinder and the stationary part the pistonwithout departing from the invention.

The arrangement of differential gears causes the plunger to be forced into the cylinderwith a very slow motion when the spindle and sprocket are rotated under the impulse of the spring in the spring-barrel or of the weight-cord on the drum, and this allows the sprocket to rotate many times while the plunger is moving but a short distance in the cylinder.

The act of opening the throttle valve through the sprocket wheels and chain causes the spindle to be rotated proportionately, and this winds up the spring in the spring-barrel or the weight-cord on the drum and draws the plunger outwardly from the cylinder. Vhen the throttle is opened sufiiciently, the springpawl is caused to engage the teeth on thev spring-barrel and the tripping-lever held by the armature of the magnet.

The wires of v the magnet are connected with the bindingposts 32, and connected with these are wires of a circuit leading to various places in a mill or factory, which wires may be provided with buttons for closing the circuit at any desired localities.

The binding-post 33 may be connected with a circuit-wire leading to a bell, and mounted upon one of the posts 32 is a rod 3ft. One end of this rod rests upon the catch-lever ll, while the other end is normally just out of engagement with the binding-post When the catch-lever is tripped and the pawl withdrawn from the teeth on the spring-barrel,

the rod moves, so that its end engages with the post 33 and closes the circuit through the bell. This causes an alarm to be rung when the stop is operated for attracting the attention of the engineer or other attendant. A rotary bolt 35 may be mounted in the case adjacent to the rod 34 in such position that the rod maybe disengaged from the post 33 to open the bell-circuit when the stop is running down or is to remain run down and it is not desired that the alarm-bell shall ring.

If the machineryin a factory, mill, or works provided with one of these engine-stops becomes disabled, if an accident occurs, or if for any other cause it is desired to quickly stop the engine, the nearest button in the electric circuit is pressed to close the circuit. This excites the magnet and causes the armature to move and release the trip-lever. The

`pawl is then pulled from engagement with the teeth on the spring-barrel, so that the spring or weight, or both, whichever is employed, will rotate the spindle and through the sprocket wheels and chain close the throttle-valve. As the barrel rotates with the spindle the arrangement of differential gears forces the plunger slowly into the cylinder, so as to check the too rapid closing of the throttle-valve and insure that it shuts without a hammer. The differential gears allow the sprocket to rotate many times, so that the throttle-valve can be opened many turns and successfully closed by a powerful spring or heavy weight without requiring the use of a very tight-fitting retarding-piston and anextended cylinder with a long plunger movement. With this governing mechanism for the stop the throttle-valve is turned rapidly and shut tightly without pound or hammer, for the plunger, which moves slowl and travels but a short distance, offers but a slight resistance to the movement of the parts until the throttle is almost closed and the plunger is near the bottom of the cylinder, at which time air in the cylinder will become more compressed and escape more slowly and thus will offer a cushioning resistance just as the throttle-valve is finally shutting the fluidway, but the air' Will escape in time to allow the throttle-valve to close tightly, there being reserved power in the spring for this purpose. The trip device is reset-that is, the lug l5 is engaged by the lug 16 on the arma- IOO IOS

IIO

ture of the magnet by lifting the handle yof the catch-lever 11. Y

If the spring has not force enough to close the throttle-valve-that is, if the spring does not in running down rotate the spindle and sprocket-Wheel quite enough turns to shut the valve-or if the spring has an excess of powerthat is, if the spring turns the spindle and sprocket Wheel so as to close the valve tooviolently-the nut on' the end of the spindle can be loosened and the sprocket-Wheel and cord-drum turned in the proper direction to adjust them with relation to the spring, soV

that when the throttle-valve is opened the spring will be Wound up just rightto close the throttle-valve properly.

I clailn as my invention-V 1. In an engine-stop, in combinatiomaspindle adapted to be connected With the throttle controlling the engine-energizing fluid, means for rotating the spindle, a catch for temporarily retaining the spindle with the rotating means under tension, a trip for moving the catch, mechanisms for releasing the trip, intermeshing differential gears and pinions that are rotated and revolved by the rotation of the spindle, and a retarding plunger and cyl- ,inder brought into action by the movement of the gears and pinions, substantially as specified.

2. In an en gine-stop, in combinatioma spinger, substantially as specified.

3. In an engine-stop, in combinatiomaspindle adapted to be connected with the throttle controlling the engine-energizin g fluid,means for rotating the spindle, a catch for temporarily retaining the spindle with the rotating means under tension, a trip for moving the catch, mechanisms for releasing the trip, a pinion revolved by the rotation of the spindle, a pair of differential gears meshing with the pinion, a sleeve bearing a pinion meshing with a rack, moved by the rotation of one of the gears, a plunger connected With the rack, and a cylinder for receiving the plunger, substantially as specified.

4. In an en gine-stop, in combination, a spindle adapted to be connected with the throttle gaging a part connected Withthe pawl, an armature for holding the lever, a magnet for moving the armature, a pinion borne by the spring-barrel, a pair of differential gears meshving with the pinion, one of said gears being stationary and the other mounted upon a sleeve, a pinion borne by the sleeve, said pinion meshing with a rack, a plunger connected .With-the rack, anda cylinder for receiving vthe plunger, substantially asl specified.

5. In an en ginestop,in combination, aspindle adapted to be connected With the throttle controlling the engine -energizing fluid, a spring for rotating the spindle, a paWl for engaging a part connected'with the' spring for .retaining the spring under tension, a lever enf gagin g a part connected with the pawl, an armature for holding the lever, a magnet for moving the armature, circuit-Wires connected with the magnet and adapted to lead to various localities, an alarm connected with circuit-Wires, a rod adapted to close the alarmcircuit When the paWl is tripped, a pinion borne by the spring-barrel, a pair of differential gears meshing With the pinion, one of said gears being stationary and the other mounted upon a sleeve, a pinion borne by the sleeve, said pinion meshing'vvith a `rack, a plunger connected With the rack, and a cylinder for receiving the plunger, substantially as specified. Y

6. In an en gine-stop, in combination,aspin dle, a sprocket-wheel connected by means of a friction device With the spindle and adaptedv to be connected With the throttle controlling the engine-energizing fluid, means for rotating the spindle,'a catch for temporarily retaining the spindle with the 'rotatin g means under tension, a trip for moving the catch, mechanism for releasing the trip, gears and pinions that are rotated by rotation of the spindle, and a retarding plunger and cylinder brought into action by the movement of IOO the gears and pinions, substantially as specified.

JoHN R. REYNOLDS. FRANK P. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses: A

. H. R. WILLIAMS, E. W. FOTHERGILL. 

